EASTER IN SERBIA – MONASTERIES AND FORTRESSES ON THE DANUBE

2013 marks the 1700th anniversary of the Edict of Milan that granted religious freedom for Christianity in the Roman Empire and was proclaimed by one of 17 Serbian-born Roman Emperors, Constantine the Great. In this jubilee year we therefore offer the opportunity to celebrate an Orthodox Easter in Serbia at the breathtaking Jazak Monastery in the stunning Fruska Gora of Vojvodina. Some of Central Europe’s greatest unsung treasures can be found in Serbia – immense fortresses on the Danube River that bravely challenged the invading Turks, and splendid Orthodox monasteries in remote forests that symbolised Serbia’s spiritual and cultural identity throughout the dark centuries of Ottoman occupation. This intriguing and carefully-crafted 7-day small-group tour explores Serbia’s rich and turbulent past whilst offering visitors the opportunity to savour her landscapes, villages and vineyards, staying in comfortable guesthouse accommodation with all meals included. The highlight may well be Midnight Mass at one of the region’s finest Orthodox monasteries on Easter Sunday.

Thursday 2 May 2013 Belgrade On arrival at Belgrade’s Nikola Tesla Airport you will be met and transferred to your guesthouse for an overnight stay.

Friday 3 May Silver Lake Depart from Belgrade and drive along the course of the Danube to Viminacium,a Roman city where you can see the largestamphitheatre in the Balkans, seating 12,000. Continue to Golubac, and tour the dramatic 14th century fortress constructed on a rocky outcrop over the Danube River at the border between Hungary and the Ottoman Empire, nowadays the border between Romania and Serbia. Cruise on the Danubeas it narrows between 1000ft-high limestone cliffs that form the stunning ‘Iron Gate’ Gorge before continuing by road to the enchanting Silver Lake nearby for an overnight stay in guesthouse accommodation.

Saturday 4 May Vrdnik Head to the city of Smederevo and visit the impressive medieval fortress – when it was conquered by the Turks the entire region capitulated and 350 years of Ottoman occupation began. Drive on to Vrsac, a small town in Vojvodina, famous for its fine churches and civic buildings as well as its vineyards. A short distance away is the village of Kovacica well-known for its ‘naive’ art – local farms, families, houses, harvests, weddings and wheatfields – that represent the traditional values and culture of which the local population is fiercely proud. After visiting the art gallery continue to Vrdnik in the heart of the Fruska Gora National Park, to stay 3 nights in a local bed and breakfast. Tonight attend midnight mass at the magnificent Jazak Monastery.

Sunday 5 May Vrdnik This morning walk to one of the most significant Serbian Orthodox churches of the region, Vrdnik-Ravanica, with its ornately carved and gilded iconostasis featuring the Serbian saints, one of 16 in Fruska Gora founded by monks who fled the Turkish invasion in the middle ages and found refuge in the densely wooded hills of the region. These monasteries became beacons of spiritual hope and nationalism during the long centuries of Ottoman occupation. The afternoon is free to relax in Vrdnik, perhaps to enjoy its famous thermal waters at the spa, or to trek up to the medieval tower.

Monday 6 May Vrdnik Today’s tour uncovers two more beautiful 16th century monasteries, Novo Hopovo and Velika Remeta, both with fine frescoes, and enjoy the delightful landscapes of the ‘holy mountain’.

Tuesday 7 May Belgrade Depart Vrdnik for Sremski Karlovci, a handsome town, to visit the seminary, the Residence of the Patriarch where there is a breathtaking array of icons in the chapel, and the rich interior of the Orthodox Cathedral with its magnificent iconostasis. Visit a local winery for awine tasting then continue to Novi Sad. This is Serbia’s second largest city and is overlooked by the impressive Petrovaradin fortress with panoramic views of the town and Danube River. Stroll through the charming old quarter, Stari Grad, and see some of its numerous churches and its grand architecture, reminiscent of many more famous central European cities, before returning to Belgrade for a final night. Extra nights in Belgrade with sightseeing are available.

Wednesday 8 May Depart Transfer from the city to the airport for your flight.

Easter in Serbia

Price per person in twin room £650 Single supplement on request

Price includes 6 nights in comfortable guesthouse accommodation with ensuite bathroom, all meals (continental breakfast, two course lunch and two course dinner) from dinner on Day 1 to breakfast on Day 7, transport and all excursions and relevant entrance fees as described, English-speaking local guide, all local taxes and tolls. Please note that your guesthouse may be self-catering accommodation, in which case a fresh breakfast will be delivered to you in the mornings, or the kitchen stocked for you to prepare your own.

Not included international flights, travel insurance, drinks with meals, hotel services such as laundry or telephone, expenses of a personal nature.

For enquiries and bookings please ring Tara on 01494 461234 or email Tara@ReadyClickAndGo.com

Visit to the Spa in Serbia - Visit to the Vrnjacka Banja

I had decided to spend ten days in Vrnjacka Banja which is a spa situated in central Serbia, 200 km south of Belgrade close to Mount Goc and in the valleys of the Vrnjacka and  Lipovacka rivers. 

The return bus fare to Vrnjacka Spa is 850 dinar which is about £8 including the seat reservation. With your tickets and seat reservations you will get a small coin which gives you access to the departure platform for the bus. The buses are comfortable, clean and with air conditioning which is very important during the hot months of summer. At the moment, the Serbian Government is investing a huge amount of money in the motorways. Driving though the countryside is very pleasant, picturesque and during May when everything is in full bloom, very lush. The journey lasts around 3 ½ hours with short stops in the cities of Kraljevo and Krusevac to pick up other passengers. There are no toilets on the bus and the only snag is that you have to rush out of the bus station in either city, buy one of the special coins from the ticket office where queues could be a mile long, then run to the toilet! If you haven’t told your driver about your toilet excursion there is a good possibility he will leave without you!

We booked one of the best hotels in Vrnjacka Banja called The Breza, which was one of the hotels built for senior army officers. As times changed the hotel lost its glory but it’s still functional.  Officially the hotel has 3 stars but I think it should be rated lower, or refurbished. The carpets are not very clean, the hallways are dark, almost dirty, and the electric wires in some rooms look very scary – connected by isolation tape. My bed was a mattress which was ripped in the middle (I only found that out on our last day). We stayed in one of the apartments which overlooked the promenade and the park. Outside our windows there was a small balcony covered in the grass and fems. We had a TV in the room which during the day had only two channels and both of those in Serbian but during the evening you could get CNN. Our phone line was working and the fridge made a really strange noise so we decided not to use it at all. The bathroom was huge but really 1970s style. After a week the receptionist moved us to a different room which was much better – spacious, with a better mattress, a sofa, and extra bed. The TV worked during the day but we didn’t have a fridge. I preferred this room. The hotel has an indoor swimming pool, internet room with fast connection, library, restaurant and a room for table tennis, and, most importantly, a hairdresser – a cheap and good hairdresser. A cut and blow dry is only £4!!! The hotel accepts major credit cards but they prefer cash.  Breakfast is very basic – eggs, cheap salami, bread, cheese, butter, marmalade, jam, tea and coffee. As we were on half board we decided to have dinner as well which was freshly made, with different dishes every day and two choices. Also the staff was so friendly they would give you anything you asked for and if you are spoiled like me then you are in heaven. During our stay the hotel hosted two big conferences with people from all around Europe. The hotel was very accommodating and staff marvellous: hard working and always ready to put guests first. For that reason I am planning to go back and stay with in the Hotel Breza again regardless as to whether there are newer, more westernised, or better equipped hotels in the area.

I decided to take my mum on this trip to Vrnjacka Banja as she had a operation there years ago and the doctor recommended that she visits a spa regularly.

The Romans first came here for their health between the 2^nd and 4^th centuries, calling it AQUAE ORCINAE. The natural mineral waters here are an intrinsic part of the treatments – either by drinking them, inhaling steam, bathing, colonic irrigation and so on. You see a doctor when you arrive, and he prescribes the best utilization of the spa waters for you.    

      

The central part of Vrnjacka spa is a well kept park, and we found there a memorial to the British doctors and nurses who helped Serbian soldiers during WWI. 

Just outside the park is a castle called Belimirovic which is today a museum with three permanent exhibitions: photographs from 1914- 1918, a room with furniture before WWI and an exhibition of Easter eggs. Also concerts, ad hoc exhibitions, and plays take place here during the summer in an event called “100 days – 100 cultural happenings. On the opposite side of the castle on a small hill, there is the oldest building in Vrnjacka Banja- the Church of the Nativity of the Holy Mother of God built in 1834 by Prince Milos Obrenovic, and well preserved.

The tourist office at Vrnjacka Banja is on the main street and easy to find. The girls are very well informed and happy to help with any enquires. As it was out of season I asked to hire a bike and she recommended a person near the Hotel Kralj whose main business is to repair old bicycles. He was happy to rent me one, in good condition, pink, girly as he said for 90 dinar which is £1 an hour on condition that I gave him some form of ID. I gave him my driving licence. He looked in his 70s but very fit for a man of his age. He also recommended a route to take. Of course I didn’t get a helmet - they are not obligatory in Serbia. Cycling up to the Hotel Borjak which is just outside Vranjcka Banja and in the hills wasn’t easy. Firstly I didn’t have a map and secondly I asked a small kid for directions who just said yes and brought me almost to the Goc Mountain which is opposite of where I wanted to be. An elderly lady sitting outside her house advised me in a motherly way that bikes are not for girls and that I was too far away anyway, which made me to turn back and cycle downslide which was a fantastic feeling. Nature is pristine here, and you can easily sit in the middle of the forest watching birds or admiring stones packed with different minerals. On the way down I stopped at a restaurant on the river and with a huge garden. It was very refreshing and I had 2 course meal for less then £8 including drinks and tips. 

The next day I arranged to visit the Zica Monastery which is around 25 km outside Banja.

The Zica Monastery is an endowment of King Stefan the First Crowned and built between 1208 and 1220. Zica was the first seat of the autonomous Serbian Archbishops and it was there that 7 medieval Serbian rulers were crowned. It is painted in red – the royal colour of Serbia. The most significant part of the church is formed by the latest frescoes painted between 1309 and 1316. Nearly nothing has been saved from the once rich monastery treasury except the holy relic – the right arm of St. John the Forerunner laid in silver, which was brought to the monastery by St. Sava. Today it is preserved in St. Mary's Cathedral in Sienna. The Monastery was heavily bombed during WWII by the Germans and set on fire during their occupation.  Today it is a women’s monastery and there is only one fifth of the frescos left. The nuns support themselves by working on the land, making teas and honey which they sell. Worship takes place every day at 5 pm and I would recommend it to anyone. The singing is beautiful and the acoustics in the church are very good. The whole atmosphere is made more mysterious by closing the entry doors and the ancient rituals at the end of prayers.

There are other Monasteries in close proximity to Vrnjacka Banja such us Ljubostnja , Studenica and newish one - Sv Petka. Also it is possible to organise a wine tour and horse riding.

Evening life in Vrnjacka Banja includes lots of walking up and down or sitting in the gardens of so many cafés and restaurants. Alternatively you can listen to live music, a concert or go to the cinema. Or even better just go to bed!                                       

For more information regarding travelling in Serbia please email Tara@ReadyClickAndGo.com

Pavle Beljanski Memorial Collection of Art in Novi Sad

Next door to the Gallery of Matica Serbia there is the fascinating Pavle Beljanski Memorial Collection of Art.

Who is Pavle Beljanski?

Pavle Beljanski was born in a sleepy town on the Danube River, Veliko Gradiste, in Serbia, in 1892, into a respectable middle-class family. After school he went to study law at Belgrade University, but WWI came along and he abandoned his studies to enrol into the Pupils' Battalion in Skopje, winning several medals before he contracted TB and was invalided out of the army. Pavle then went to Paris to study law at the Sorbonne, and after the war to Stockholm to work as a clerk in the embassy of the new Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes there.

This was the beginning of a very interesting diplomatic career and the beginning of his renowned art collection. He started buying in Berlin and Vienna when he was posted there, striking up friendships with young artists such as Marino Tartalja who were studying in Europe's major cultural capitals, and when he returned to Belgrade in 1925 he kept up these friendships with young artists from his own country. He decided to collect the works of contemporary artists whose quality was recognised internationally, and create an anthology of his nation.

Between the two world wars Beljanski worked hard on expanding his collection and appointed the painter Jefto Peric to choose and buy pieces. He also promoted their work through exhibitions and writing reviews for numerous art magazines.

WWII disrupted his plans and his main worry was to keep his collection safe and out of reach of the Nazis. When the Germans formed a commission for the seizure of works of art in Belgrade, Beljanski was tipped off by a good friend who was a member of the commission. Beljasnki hid all his art in a box, and buried it in the coal cellar, keeping out any expensive frames which he displayed with mediocre paintings in them. When the commission come to value his collection they decided it wasn’t of any importance and left.

He later said: “ Each of these painting is part of my life! Each of them went through my heart... "

This devotion to his collection saved his life during WWII. His family moved to Svilajnac in order to avoid the full atrocities of the German invasion of Belgrade  but Beljanski decided to stay in the city and look after his paintings. Unfortunately Sviljanc was bombed on 24^th September 1944 and the Beljanski family house was hit. Pavle Beljanski lost two sisters, a brother and their families. Beljanski was left on his own.

At the end of WWII the new country of Yugoslavia needed experienced diplomats and Pavle Beljanski was invited into the diplomatic corps again. As a skilful and knowledgeable diplomat he established relations with many countries and as a result was rewarded by different countries such as Poland, Ethiopia, Greece and Egypt. Beljasnki's second spell in the diplomatic service lasted officially until 1958.

In October 1945 an exhibition of 67 paintings was arranged at the City Museum in Sombor. This exhibition was the first one in post-war Yugoslavia but also it was the first time Beljanski could see his collection in a gallery. The following year he arranged for several foreign diplomatic missions in Yugoslavia to visit the exhibition which despite being his private property, was thereby approved as ideologically sound by his communist masters. The same year ten paintings were chosen for a major retrospective exhibition of painting and sculpture of the people of Yugoslavia 19th and 20th centuries, which toured several Eastern European capitals.

Between 1952 and 1957 120 works from the Pavel Beljanski Collection were chosen for exhibition at the National Museum in Belgrade. Due to the size of the collection not all pieces could be shown at once, the exhibits were rotated to bring as many works to the public as practically possible. Pavle considers donating his art to a museum but under certain conditions, the main one being that part of it always had to be displayed, and displayed apart from other paintings in the museum. Only the museum in Vojvodina accepted his conditions and in 1957 he signed a contract with the Executive Council who built a gallery just for the Beljanski Collection.  

The Pavle Beljanski Memorial Art Gallery contains paintings, sculptures, drawings and tapestries over two floors. One of the smaller parts of the Memorial is dedicated to Pavel Beljasnki's life and you can see his diplomatic uniform, photographs of his parents, his medals and his first art collections. From a total of 185 works you can find 144 exhibited. 

Entry is just £1. The Pavle Beljanski Memorial is open  from Wednesday to Sunday from 1000-1800, Thursday 1300-2100 and closed on Monday and Tuesday. The list of paintings at the Pavle Beljanksi Memorial Collection you can find here. My favorite painting is Velika Iza by Vlaho Puhovac shown on the right. 

If you are looking for a day trip to Novi Sad and the Pavle Beljanski Memorial with a private guide, driver and car please email Tara@ReadyClickAndGo.com

Bus ride from Serbia to Bosnia via Croatia

His posture was like Fagin’s from Oliver Twist, only he was collecting bus tickets not money.

“If we get refused entry I’ll blame you!“ he said, not making eye contact.

I began to calculate the number of passengers on the bus times the cost of the ticket and blessed all my debit cards stacked in my wallet. I had enough money to pay for return tickets for all of us, luckily only 12!

“Have you ever crossed the border with a British Passport?“’

“Many times, but not  the Croatian border from the Serbian side! “

He shook his head in disbelief and walked off, cursing loud enough for me to hear.

I felt bad but secretly I knew there shouldn’t be any problem travelling by bus from Belgrade into Bosnia via Croatia as I checked the FCO advice and they clearly state there are no visa requirements for UK nationals when travelling to any of these countries. The problem is that when purchasing your bus ticket no one asks you which passport you are travelling on as they presume that you are a national either ofSerbia, Croatia or Bosnia in which case you don’t need a visa and sometimes you can cross borders with local ID. I could cross the border directly from Serbia to Bosnia but the bus journey is horrendously long – 12 hours!

After a drive of only an hour and a half through the so-called Panonnian Sea of cultivated fields we arrived on the western border ofSerbia. A guard with a serious face half covered by his hat came on board and colleted the IDs, passports and travelling documents which Mr Fagin had collected. We quickly moved into the no-man’s land between Serbiaand Croatia. On the Croatian side there was a big decorated Christmas tree – I’m sure one wouldn’t be erected on  the Serbian side for our Christmas on the 7th January. Serbia and Croatia don’t celebrate the same Christmas but they have so much else in common. On the Croatian side there are lots of flags and in the corner of the lorry parking space I can spot the EC panel, a little bit damaged though.

Nothing happens and the 12 passengers including me are getting nervous, agitated and bored. Suddenly Mr Fagin announces we all have to get off the bus and go through passport control in a nearby building. Once in the building one of the older ladies asks an official if she could use the loo only to be refused as its’ apparently only for employees. We queue quietly, waiting for something to happen. I am the last one, childishly thinking if they refuse me the rest of the group could run off saying I am not with them.

Three girls young enough to be my daughters nonchalantly check my passport talking about boys and smoking. Was smoking banned inCroatia? I am sure it is in Serbia. The girls are clearly enjoyimg  their deep puffs which convinced me that smoking is de facto banned in Croatia but we are in the middle of nowhere, two days before Christmas, when most bosses are on holiday. Smoking is allowed today.

I came out of the building to meet Mr Fagin with a big smile, relieved that I was allowed to enter Croatia on my UK passport.

The drive between the Croatian and Bosnian border was monotonous and slow with a rattling coming from the old engine. The bus’s condition was very alarming , the seats were old, dirty, worn out and I was surprised it was allowed to cross international borders in its present conditions. I tuned my MP3 player into different radio stations which sometimes were Croatian, sometimes Bosnian, Hungarian, German and Serbian – all these different nationalities once lived in one country – Yugoslavia. It seemed Lady Gaga hadn’t arrived here  yet as all the radio stations broadcast music from the 80s. After three hours’ drive we arrived at the border of Bosnia but first we had to exitCroatia. The narrow road, not even a motorway, was packed with lorries from different countries: Macedonia, Montenegro, Bosnia, Croatia, Slovenia…Again a uniformed guard come on board to collect passports and again they were returned by Mr Fagin. To enter Bosnia you have to cross the River Sava and to cross the River Sava you have to go over the bridge which was built during Tito’s time -­ it was narrow and slowed down the crossing even further. Once on the Bosnian side, the passports were collected by Mr Fagin, presented to a bored official and returned to us swiftly.

After five hours and four border crossings Mr Fagin was more than happy, he even managed a wink. We had arrived in Bosnia.